Untitled [woman on a sofa reading]
1955-1967
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 21.6 cm (11 x 8 1/2 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Phyllis Diebenkorn
Accession Number
2000.141.540
Art Historical Context
Richard Diebenkorn's *Untitled [woman on a reading]*, created between 1955 and 1967, captures an intimate domestic moment through delicate graphite lines on wove paper. Measuring just 27.9 x 21.6 cm, this modest drawing exemplifies Diebenkorn's shift during the mid-1950s from abstract expressionism to Bay Area Figurative painting. After years of bold abstractions in Albuquerque and Sausalito, he embraced representational work in Berkeley, influenced by peers like David Park and Elmer Bischoff, focusing on everyday scenes infused with emotional depth. The graphite medium allows for subtle shad...
About the Artist
Richard Diebenkorn
Richard Clifford Diebenkorn Jr. (1922-1993) was one of the premier American painters of the postwar era, whose deeply lyrical abstractions and figurative works evoked the shimmering light and wide-open spaces of California. Born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in San Francisco, Diebenkorn became a pivotal figure in elevating the status of California art on the international stage. His career encom...